There was nothing like a return to comfortable surroundings against a comfortably familiar rival to get Connecticut a win that maybe can get the Huskies’ season back on track.

Desperately needing a spark in a season that early on has been defined by injuries, stunning losses and near-losses, the Huskies rallied past Syracuse for a 52-50 win Monday night. The game was played at Madison Square Garden, home to so many clashes between these two in the Big East Tournament in the past, and was the first of several big college games at the venerable arena this week.

It wasn’t Big Monday, and it was far from a work of art, but the night still reminded us just what the sport is missing when these two are not in the same conference anymore. With their games there in the past, both can make a figurative claim to MSG being their home away from home, and the atmosphere for this game made for typically great television between these two. … Continue Reading

The regular season is near, just two days away. We continue Hoopville’s preseason rundown of all 32 NCAA Division I conferences, with a trip to the South:

Someday the SEC will shed the perception that it’s Kentucky and everyone else. There’s just way too much money in the league, and even besides UK there are too many programs with too much history (Alabama, LSU, Missouri to name a few) for the league to stay as down as it is. In the meantime, though, the Wildcats continue to be the team to beat, even as Texas A&M tied for the regular season title a year ago, and on paper this could be as low as a 2-3-bid league yet again. A&M and Florida are probably the top challengers, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if some teams from the group of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Vanderbilt surpass expectations and bring the league collectively up a notch or two. … Continue Reading

Michael Gbinije seemingly had “college All-American” and probably more written all over him growing up. He played at a powerhouse in DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, and as often happens with good players there, was highly recruited. When he chose Duke, many probably figured he had a lot ahead of him.

Well, he did, but the road was far from easy. His college career was quite a journey that took him elsewhere, but could still take him to the promised land beyond college. For that matter, he experienced the promised land of the Final Four in his final season, though it’s one as unexpected as how he got to this point.

Atlantic Coast Conference coaches spent much of the season boasting about the league’s competitiveness and balance, but in the end, the 2015-16 race had a very familiar look at the top.

North Carolina finished with a 14-4 ACC record to win its first regular-season title since 2012 and Virginia, which finished alone at the top in the 2013 and ’14 seasons, checked in at 13-5 to share second place with Miami.

Welcome to Talking Hoops with Ted Sarandis. In this edition, we start by looking back at a departed legend, then continue with some off-season developments.

First, we look back at the life of the late Pearl Washington, a college basketball legend. While he had a relatively uneven NBA career, there is no mistaking that he will be remembered for his college days at Syracuse both on its own merits and within the larger context of the Big East and its rise.

In so many ways, the NCAA Tournament has consistently, without fail delivered one quality game after another for literally decades, and nowhere has that consistency been more able to be counted on than in the Final Four.

The record books don’t lie; you can go back for 40 years of this event, and it is rare to find even single national semifinal games that one would classify as uncompetitive, to say nothing of having two in the same years. All of which makes Saturday’s results more surprising, yet perhaps also indicative of the way this year’s tourney has gone.

Villanova and North Carolina are the last two teams standing in this season after winning by margins ranging from comfortable to mind-boggling. The Wildcats steamrolled Oklahoma 95-51 in the first semifinal before Carolina easily handled Syracuse 83-66 in the second. … Continue Reading

Welcome to Talking Hoops with Ted Sarandis. The Final Four is in front of us, which means there are games left, but also other activity going on.

In this edition, we first talk the coaching carousel, including the interesting moves made in the West Coast Conference thus far and what it means for the current state of the conference. We move into transfers, with news that the transfer wire is already over 250 players long and sure to expand, headed by graduate transfers. There are a few graduate transfers who will be of special interest, and we touch on them briefly.

This year’s NCAA Tournament Final Four is set. By almost all accounts, it’s not a foursome many expected to be here collectively, and for a season and a tournament that has carried a double major in inexplicable and bizarre, that might be the best sign we have that it’s as appropriate of a group as we could’ve asked for.

This year’s group of participants-North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Villanova-doesn’t quite carry the history or star coaching power of last year’s group, but it is not a lightweight foursome by any means. With their appearances this year, the four will have combined for 35 Final Four trips, which isn’t that far off the 46 by last year’s quartet of Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State and Wisconsin. In fact, all four members of this year’s class have been this far at least five times now.… Continue Reading

Sometimes, an unexpected team catches fire during the NCAA Tournament and makes an unlikely run. We’re not talking about a team that’s normally outside the limelight like a mid-major conference champion; rather, a team that barely made it and had a rather undistinguished season. And sometimes, that run includes an unexpected win along the way, including the fashion in which it happens.

Sometimes, there’s simply no explaining easily something that happens in sports. Syracuse reaching the Final Four this season, which they did after a 68-62 win over Virginia on Sunday, fits that description.

Welcome to Talking Hoops with Ted Sarandis. The Final Four is all set, and with some real drama on Sunday night that is featured here.

In this edition, we first talk about Syracuse’s amazing comeback to be one of the most unlikely Final Four teams ever. We also talk about the only No. 1 seed to make it, and the team that looks like the favorite entering the Final Four in North Carolina, and give props to Mike Brey and his staff on the season they had and what they have done to make Notre Dame a consistently good program.

Gonzaga might have needed the West Coast Conference title they won in Las Vegas last year in order to be in the NCAA Tournament. With better guards, there should be no doubt about that this time around.

The Big 12 has been on a great run to be the top conference in recent years, including last year. This year will be a challenge due to a big loss of experience throughout the conference.

Hoopville Archives

Hoopville Archives

College Basketball Books

Everybody Needs a Head Coach

Former college basketball coach Mike Jarvis has a new book out, Everybody Needs a Head Coach.

"As you read this book, I hope that Coach Jarvis' experiences inspire you to find your purpose in life."-Patrick Ewing, NBA Hall of Fame center

"Mike Jarvis' is one of my special friends. I am so pleased that he has taken the time to write this fabulous book."-Mike Krzyzewski, Five-time NCAA championship head coach, Duke Blue Devils

"In reading this book, I can see that Mike hasn't lost his edge or his purpose. Readers should take a look at what he has to say."-Jim Calhoun, Three-time NCAA champion, UConn Men's basketball

Review on Hoopville coming soon!

Coaching Changes and NBA Draft Early Entrants

The coaching carousel is moving. Keep track of the latest coaching changes right here on Hoopville.

Also, keep track of players who have declared early for the NBA Draft.

College Basketball Tonight

We hope you enjoyed COLLEGE BASKETBALL TONIGHT during the 2016 NCAA Tournament. COLLEGE BASKETBALL TONIGHT is a comprehensive look at the NCAA Tournament hosted by veteran college basketball broadcaster Ted Sarandis, along with co-hosts Mike Jarvis and Terry O'Connor, both former Division I coaches. It also included many great guests, including Hoopville's own Phil Kasiecki.

The show aired on AM 710 WOR in New York City on Sunday evenings starting with Selection Sunday and running through the NCAA Tournament.